PSA: How Much Water Should I Bring to Burning Man?

Many Burning Mans ago Chicken John walked around the desert and pounded some free-standing water spigots into the ground. They weren’t attached to anything, of course: it’s a dry lake bed, and there aren’t utility pipes for miles.

But people still walked up to them, held their canteens underneath, and turned the spigot … expecting something to happen. They stared at it for 10, 20 seconds, waiting, wondering “Why isn’t the water coming?” before it finally dawned on them: “oh yeah, no water. Anywhere.” I’ve seen video. It’s hilarious.

But – true fact – people need water to survive. And there isn’t any at Burning Man … unless you bring it!

But people often wonder: “how much water should I bring?”

Fortunately we have the answer right here in our latest Public Service Announcement from Caveat and BMIR!

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Caveat is the Volunteer Coordinator for Media Mecca at Burning Man is Burning Man’s leading interpreter of Sea Chanties. His opinions are in no way statements of the Burning Man organization. Contact him at Caveat (at) Burningman.com

Caveat grew up wanting to be a Russian novelist, but the closest he ever came was getting personally insulted by the first democratically elected president of Poland. He is not an official representative of Burning Man, or even an employee, and does not speak for the organization. He does, however, periodically show up at the Burning Man Philosophical Center with a sign that says "Philosophy in Progress."
He tweets under the clever pseudonym of @BenjaminWachs

A veteran burner years ago shared with me one way to use a lot less water. Bring one of those pumping sprayers (found in the garden section of the department store) for rinsing dirty dishes. You get all the water pressure you need, and use hardly any water at all (and create a LOT less grey water to carry home) to get your dishes clean.